TODAY SHOULD BE NICE WITH SUNNY SKIES AND WARMER CONDITIONS…HIGHS WILL RISE TO NEAR 49 DEGREES AND IT WILL BE BREEZY TOO, WITH WINDS GUSTING UP TO 37 MPH. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAYS RAIN IS IN THE FORECAST THOUGH…I’LL TELL YOU MORE IN A FEW MINUTES!
MULTI AWARD WINNING LEGENDARY CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN ARTISTS RUSS TAFF, WAYNE WATSON, CLAY CROSSE AND FIRST CALL WILL SHARE THE STAGE THIS SPRING FOR A NATIONWIDE CONCERT TOUR. THE EVENT IS BEING CALLED “LORD OF ALL TOUR” AND WILL BRING TOGETHER SOME OF THE BEST-KNOWN VOICES IN CHRSITIAN MUSIC OF THE 80’S AND 90’S. RUSS TAFF SANG WITH THE IMPERIALS AND THE GAITHER VOCAL BAND BEFORE GOING ON TO BE A SOLO ARTIST. HE HAS EARNED FIVE GRAMMY AWARDS, ELEVEN DOVE AWARDS AND WAS INDUCTED INTO THE GOSPEL MUSICAL HALL OF FAME IN 1998. WAYNE WATSON HAS HAD SEVEN DOVE AWARDS AND TWO GRAMMY NOMINATIONS AS WELL AS 23 NUMBER ONE SINGLES ON CHRISTIAN RADIO. HE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE GOSPEL MUSIC HALL OF FAME IN 2011. CLAY CROSSE HAS BEEN HONORED WITH FOUR DOVE AWARDS AND BESIDES HIS CONCERTS, TRAVELS NATIONALLY WITH HIS WIFE, RENEE, TO TEACH BIBLE-BASED MARRIAGE SEMINARS CALLED “HOLYHOMES”. FIRST CALL, WITH ORIGINAL MEMBERS MEL TUNNEY, MARTY McCALL AND BONNIE KEEN, IS AN AWARD-WINNING VOCAL GROUP WITH ELEVEN ALBUMS TO THEIR CREDIT. THEY HAVE TWICE RECEIVED THE DOVE AWARD FOR GROUP OF THE YEAR. THE “LORD OF ALL TOUR”…THIS SPRING!
IN OTHER NEWS…THE OHIO SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION HAS SELECTED LINDA A. JORDAN, A MEMBER OF THE NORTHEASTERN LOCAL SCHOOLS AND SPRINGFIELD-CLARK CAREER TECHNOLOGY CENTER TO TWO COMMITTEES. SHE WILL SERVE ON THE ARRANGEMENTS AND HOSPITALITY TEAM AS WELL AS THE SOUTHWEST REGIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. DONNA J. MYERS, A MEMBER OF THE NORTHWESTERN LOCAL SCHOOLS AND SPRINGFIELD-CLARK CAREER TECHNOLOGY CENTER, HAS BEEN NAMED TO THE SOUTHWEST REGIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AS WELL. THE OHIO SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION IS BASED IN COLUMBUS AND WAS FOUNDED IN 1955. THEY LEAD THE WAY TO EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE BY SERVING OHIO’S PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS AND THE DIVERSE DISTRICTS THEY REPRESENT THROUGH SERVICE, ADVOCACY AND CREATIVE SOLUTIONS.
A FAIRBORN HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE WHO HAS BEEN SERVING AS A CIVILIAN DEFENSE CONTRACTOR IN AFGHANISTAN REMAINED IN CRITICAL CONDITION OVER THE WEEKEND AFTER SHE WAS CRITICALLY INJURED. 27 YEAR OLD CHRISTINA MADDOCK IS A FIELD SUPPORT REPRESENTATIVE FOR INTELLIGENT SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS, BASED IN COLORADO. SHE WAS TAKEN TO A HOSPITAL IN GERMANY, BUT THERE WAS NOT MUCH INFORMATION RELEASED ABOUT HOW SHE WAS INJURED. PLEASE BE PRAYING FOR MADDOCK, A 2003 GRADUATE OF FAIRBORN HIGH SCHOOL. SHE BEGAN SERVING A YEAR-LONG DEPLOYMENT IN JANUARY.
CONSTRUCTION ON I-70 WAS DELAYED LAST YEAR UNTIL AT LEAST 2036 BECAUSE OF TIGHT STATE BUDGETS, LEAVING A 6.8 MILE STRETCH IN CLARK COUNTY WITH FOUR LANES, BUT AREA LEADERS ARE OPTIMISTIC THAT WITH PROPOSED TOLL INCREASES ON OHIO’S TURNPIKE THAT IT COULD GENERATE $1 BILLON…MAYBE MAKING MORE MONEY AVAILABLE TO COMPLETE THE PROJECT SOONER. TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS ARE GOING TO APPLY AGAIN FOR THE FUNDING TO WIDEN THE LAST REMAINING FOUR-LANE STRETCH IN CLARK COUNTY ACCORDING TO THE NEWS-SUN REPORT.
THERE’S GOOD NEWS IN THE HOUSING MARKET FOR OUR REGION! IF THINGS CONTINUE LIKE THEY ARE, HOME SALES COULD GO BACK TO THE LEVELS THEY WERE IN 2006 BEFORE THE MARKET CRASHED, ACCORDING TO A REPORT IN THE NEWS-SUN. LAST YEAR, 4,560 HOMES SOLD IN A SEVEN-COUNTY REGION LOCALLY. THE SEVEN-COUNTY REGION NOW HAS TWO YEARS OF IMPROVING HOME SALE PRICES. DAVID BRISKER, CEO OF THE WESTERN REGIONAL INFORMATION SYTSEMS & TECHNOLOGY OR WRIST, AND JEROME VINSON, 2013 PRESIDENT OF THE SPRINGFIELD BOARD OF REALTORS SHARED THAT THE HOUSING MARKET NEEDS PEOPLE WHO FEEL GOOD ABOUT THEIR JOBS TO BUY PROPERTY AND THAT PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN SHUT OUT OF THE MARKET BECAUSE OF POOR CREDIT OR OTHER REASONS ARE NOW JUMPING BACK IN. VINSON SAID, “SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN ON THE SIDELINES WAITING TO GET BACK, THEY’VE BEEN PREVIOUS HOMEOWNERS, SO THEY KNOW THE VALUE, THEY WANT WHAT THEY USED TO HAVE.”
FLOODING CAUSED BY A WATER SOFTENER HAS DAMAGED A $1 MILLION PEDIATRIC CLINIC THAT RECENTLY OPENED IN URBANA, FORCING ITS STAFF TO GO BACK TO THE FORMER FACILITY IN MERCY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL. THE MERCY WELL CHILD PEDIATRIC CLINIC RENOVATED AN EMPTY GROCERY STORE INTO A FULL-SERVICE PEDIATRIC CENTER AND THEY HOSTED AN OPEN HOUSE LAST TUESDAY. BUT WHEN STAFF MEMBERS ARRIVED WEDNESDAY, STANDING WATER COVERED THE FLOORS OF THE NEW FACILITY, APPARENTLY CAUSED BY A FAULTY WATER SOFTENER. IN ORDER TO CONTINUE SERVING PATIENTS, STAFF MEMBERS RETURNED TO THEIR PREVIOUS FACILITY IN MERCY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL IN URBANA. DAVE LAMB, SPOKESMAN FOR COMMUNITY MERCY HEALTH PARTNERS, SAID IT’S NOT CLEAR YET WHEN THEY WILL BE ABLE TO RETURN TO THE NEW FACILITY. PARTS OF THE BUILDING DAMAGED ARE BEING ASSESSED.
STATE SENATORS CHRIS WIDENER AND BILL BEAGLE HAVE INTRODUCED THE DEPUTY SUZANNE HOPPER ACT IN HONOR OF HOPPER WHO WAS KILLED ON DUTY ON NEW YEARS DAY, 2011. UNDER THE BILL, COURTS WILL BE REQUIRED TO REPORT PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN FOUND NOT GUILTY BY REASON OF INSANITY OR THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN CONVICTED OF A VIOLENT OFFENSE AND ORDERED TO GET MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT FOR INCLUSION INTO THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTOMATED DATA SYSTEM, ALSO CALLED “LEADS”. CLARK COUNTY SHERIFF GENE KELLY SAID THAT IF THEY HAD THE INFORMATION ON MICHAEL FERRYMAN’S VIOLENT PAST OR THAT HE WAS ORDERED TO BE UNDER COURT-APPOINTED PSYCHIATRIC CARE UNTIL 2012 IT WOULD HAVE BETTER PREPARED OFFICERS FOR THE STAND-OFF AND SHOOTING ON THAT NEW YEAR’S DAY. KELLY SHARES THAT AFTER DEPUTY HOPPER’S DEATH A SIMILAR DATABASE WAS CREATED LOCALLY. KELLY SAYS A STATE OR NATIONAL DATABASE WOULD ALERT RESPONDING OFFICERS TO USE EXTRA CAUTION OR CONSIDER DIFFERENT TACTICS WHEN RESPONDING TO A SITUATION INVOLVING SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN DECLARED CRIMINALLY INSANE OR HAS A SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESS, ALONG WITH A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE. CLARK COUNTY PROSECUTOR ANDY WILSON STATES, “ANYTHING THAT ARMS FRONT-LINE OFFICERS WITH MORE INFORMATION IS A GOOD THING. THEY SHOULD KNOW WHEN THEY’RE RESPONDING TO A SITUATION INVOLVING A PERSON WHO HAS A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE THAT IS SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH TO REQUIRE COURT ACTION IN THE PAST.” IN THE ARTICLE IN THE NEWS SUN, TRUDY SHARP, SPOKESWOMAN FOR THE OHIO DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH SAYS THERE ARE CURRENTLY 443 PEOPLE IN OHIO WHO ARE ON CONDITIONAL RELEASE AFTER BEING FOUND NOT GUILTY OF A CRIME BY REASON OF INSANITY. STATE SENATOR BEAGLE SAID THE BILL COULD BE DISCUSSED IN SENATE HEARINGS VERY SOON.
THE WEATHER…IT’S GOING TO CHANGE…AGAIN! AFTER TEMPERATURES RIGHT AROUND 50 TODAY AND SUNNY SKIES, WE ARE GOING TO GO BACK TO COLD CONDITIONS FOR THE REST OF THIS WEEK! LOWS TONIGHT DROP TO 32 DEGREES AND WITH A 100 PERCENT PROBABILITY OF RAIN, WILL MAKE THAT RAIN CHANGE OVER TO SNOW. TEMPERATURES WILL FALL TO 28 DEGREES BY 3:00 TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND IT WILL CONTINUE BREEZY WITH WEST WINDS 20-23 MPH, GUSTING AS HIGH AS 34 DEGREES. SNOW ACCUMULATION OF AROUND HALF-AN-INCH IS EXPECTED. TUESDAY NIGHT’S LOWS WILL DROP TO A FREEZING COLD 14 DEGREES, BUT WITH WINDS CONTINUING TO GUST AS HIGH AS 34 MPH, WILL MAKE FOR WIND CHILL VALUES AS LOW AS ZERO.
